E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2007 No. 133 House of Representatives The House met at 10:30 a.m. and was proof to formally make an accusation, ers associated with the Chinese Army called to order by the Speaker pro tem- China is the prime suspect. The respon- might have been behind the attacks. pore (Mrs. TAUSCHER). sibility is unclear, because China is Motives for such hacking may range f home to many insecure computers and from the stealing of secrets or con- networks that hackers in other com- fidential technology to probing for sys- DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER puters could use to simply disguise tem weaknesses and placing hidden vi- PRO TEMPORE their locations and launch these at- ruses that could be activated in case of The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- tacks, making proper attribution dif- a conflict. fore the House the following commu- ficult. The reported Pentagon attack was nication from the Speaker: The Chinese Government replied, ‘‘It the most flagrant and brazen to date, has always opposed any Internet WASHINGTON, DC, said Alex Neill, an expert on the Chi- September 10, 2007. wrecking crime, including hacking, nese military at London’s Royal I hereby appoint the Honorable ELLEN O. and crack down on it according to their United Services Institute. Quoted by TAUSCHER to act as Speaker pro tempore on law.’’ This is not true. Last June was the British newspaper, The Guardian, this day. not the first cyber attack that points Neill said such attacks begin at least 4 NANCY PELOSI, back towards China. In 2005, a group Speaker of the House of Representatives. years ago, and are increasing at an with ties to China compromised secure alarming rate. f networks from the Redstone Arsenal Military Base, to NASA, to the World Now, this is a substantial threat to MORNING-HOUR DEBATE Bank. In one case, the hackers stole the security of the United States and The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- flight planning software from the its allies. In January 2005, Japanese of- ant to the order of the House of Janu- Army. The files they have obtained are ficials had reported that Chinese hack- ary 4, 2007, the Chair will now recog- not classified, but many are strategi- ers were routinely attacking web sites nize Members from lists submitted by cally important enough to require U.S. and Internet services. According to the the majority and minority leaders for Government licenses for foreign use. Korean Information Security Agency, a morning-hour debate. The Chair will Experts note China’s military has total of 10,628 cases of hacking were re- alternate recognition between the par- openly discussed using cyber attacks as ported in the first half of the year 2004, ties, with each party limited to not to a means of defeating a more powerful 30 times higher than for the same pe- exceed 30 minutes, and each Member, conventional military such as ours. In riod in 2003. In 2005, Chinese hackers except the majority leader, the minor- fact, other governments have also been assaulted South Korean government ity leader, or the minority whip, lim- the targets of these vicious cyber at- computers, gaining access to informa- ited to not to exceed 5 minutes. tacks. Unidentified officials in Ger- tion concerning the country’s National The Chair recognizes the gentleman many and Britain reported to the Assembly, Atomic Energy Research In- from Florida (Mr. STEARNS) for 5 min- media that government and military stitute, Democratic Progressive Party, utes. networks had been broken into by and even the itinerary of the South Ko- rean president himself. f hackers backed by the Chinese Army. The Guardian reported that Chinese Whether or not cyber attacks are CHINESE CYBER SPIES—AN attackers launched online assaults on government sponsored, China has be- EMERGING THREAT the network in Britain’s Parliament, come a growing focus of global Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, my the Foreign Office, and Defense Min- antihacking efforts. In a report earlier colleagues, the control of information istry. My colleagues, last month the this year, security software maker is critical to national security. This German weekly Der Spiegel also re- Symantec Corporation listed China as asset was compromised as reported in ported that computers at the chan- having the world’s second largest the London Times AP story in the cellery and three ministries had been amount of computer activity. Experts Washington Post recently, last week. infected with so-called Trojan horse say the attacks originating in China It was compromised from a cyber at- programs, which allowed an attacker often employ standard weaponry such tack against the Department of De- to spy on information in those com- as Trojan horses and worms, and many fense’s unclassified e-mail system, puters. The report, which appears on other sophisticated techniques. In which included the e-mail accounts of the eve of German Chancellor Merkel’s some cases, hackers slip in after Defense Secretary Robert Gates. While visit to Beijing, said Germany’s domes- launching viruses to distract monitors, the Pentagon does not have sufficient tic intelligence agency believed hack- or coordinate multiple attacks for b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H10323 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 02:11 Sep 11, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A10SE7.000 H10SEPT1 cnoel on PRODPC60 with HOUSE_CN H10324 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 10, 2007 maximum effects. China denies back- counted, but, even more importantly, our troops, but because of the failures ing such attacks, and foreign govern- what isn’t counted. of politicians here in Washington and ments have declined to openly accuse In the evidence that progress has in Iraq. This President’s surge has been Beijing. Yet, after the threatening test been made, not counted includes Shiite as successful as the President’s boast of the Chinese anti-satellite weapon, on Shiite violence which is happening to catch Osama bin Laden ‘‘dead or the reports are further illustrations of in the south in the Basra area, Sunni alive.’’ China’s pursuit of new methods of un- on Sunni violence. Car bombings aren’t We now have three reports from enti- conventional strategy. Chinese mili- counted. And get this one, this isn’t a ties at least somewhat independent tary thinkers frequently debate these joke. People shot in the front of the from the Bush propaganda machine strategies, including the use of attacks head are not counted; people shot in that confirm the obvious. The National on satellites, financial system and the back of the head are counted. I Intelligence Estimate providing the computer networks. ‘‘In the informa- thought at first that was just an exag- thinking of the intelligence commu- tion age, the influence exerted by a nu- gerated joke. It is true. And, finally, nity that, instead of getting better, the clear bomb is perhaps less than the in- the large-scale bombing like the one situation in Iraq will get worse: ‘‘The fluence exerted by a hacker,’’ a pair of that killed 500 ethnic Yazidies in Au- Iraqi government will become more Chinese colonels wrote in a key 1999 gust is not counted. So clearly these precarious over the next 6 to 12 work on asymmetrical strategies titled numbers are very clearly cherry months.’’ The Independent Commission Unlimited Warfare. picked. on Security Forces concluded that the We must ensure the legal authority is clear Then, if you look at a fact that is im- Iraqi Interior Ministry is ‘‘dysfunc- for our government agencies in tracking and portant to many Americans, every tional.’’ It is so bad that it cannot be responding to cyber attacks. It is vital that we month in 2007, including the months, of fixed; they recommend that it be dis- swiftly detect attacks, accurately identify the the surge has seen more U.S. military banded. The Government Account- source and intent, and respond forcefully casualties than the same month in ability Office evaluated the surge, and against all malicious intrusions. 2006. In other words, more and more of it judged President Bush’s policy using My colleagues, our enemy needs to our young men are dying. And while his own criteria with a clear ‘‘F,’’ a know attacking our cyber space is the the Parliament was on vacation as clear failure, a fiasco, a fatal flop, with same as attacking our homeland, and some commentators said because, after only 3 of 18 benchmarks having been we will respond accordingly. all, it is so hot, about 120 degrees, our met. f young men and women were fighting Today, General Petraeus can cite and dying in their body armor and hel- whatever selective statistics that his THE IRAQ WAR mets and heavy packs and weapons out political bosses may permit him to dis- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- in that 120 degree heat, dying at num- close, but the facts are that each and ant to the order of the House of Janu- bers greater than ever. every month this year has involved ary 4, 2007, the gentlewoman from Illi- And, of course, not included in those more deaths of American troops than nois (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) is recognized numbers has been not only the the each month, including August last during morning-hour debate for 5 min- number of U.S.